MARY Scott , Head of school at Concordia International School Shanghai

THIS year marks the 19th academic year at Concordia International School Shanghai, and we are pleased to have our talented students and their families be a part of it. They are the heart and soul of the phoenix! We are especially excited to welcome our new families who bring an exciting and fresh perspective to our school.

It was a busy summer at Concordia. We completed a number of campus improvement projects including upgrading classrooms, building additional maker spaces and a kinesthetic learning lab. We also upgraded safety and security systems throughout the campus, which included adding vestibules and enclosed walkways to maintain optimal indoor air quality and make it possible to move from one end of the campus to the other without walking outside.

At Concordia, we are passionate about effective teaching and learning. During the 2016-17 school year, we will again host the Global Leadership Conference, the World University Fair, a Big Data University Workshop, APAC and many other exciting events. Our wonderful community of faculty and staff are geared up to help make this year the best one yet.

My family and I are pleased to join with so many others in fulfilling the mission of this outstanding school. We look forward to getting to know the students, parents, faculty and staff of Concordia in the days, weeks, months and years ahead.

It’s going to be an awesome year!

NEIL Hopkin , Principal of the British International School Shanghai, Puxi

The British International School Shanghai (BISS) was founded in Puxi in 2004 and since then has grown to become a vibrant and highly successful community serving 1,500 students and families. August is an exciting time, as vacation development programs are completed, examination results published and the new school year begins.

We are proud of our students, whose progress and achievements are the best testimony to the success of our highly qualified and inspirational staff. Academic results are important measures of our success. We have high aspirations and students have again this year produced outstanding results. The graduating class of 2016 achieved an average Diploma score of just under 36 points, compared with a global average of 30 points. One of our students scored the rare perfect score of 45 out of 45 and another three students gained scores of 44. A total of 13 percent of the cohort achieved marks of 40 points or better — more than double the global average of 5 percent. Our students have secured places at prestigious universities worldwide, for example, Kings College, UCL.

My family and I are excited to move to China to join the great team at BISS Puxi. I am looking forward to ensuring that the school builds on its great success to date.

Damien Charnock , Head of Dulwich College Shanghai

It is my pleasure to welcome you back to a new academic year from what I hope has been a refreshing, enjoyable and relaxing holiday. The start of a new year brings with it a sense of excitement, optimism and anticipation that I am sure the new academic year will reward handsomely.

This is the time of year when we welcome many new families into our community. Our new staff members have arrived safely and for the past two weeks have been enjoying their transition to a new life in Shanghai and Dulwich College. We are extremely privileged to be joined by such an outstanding group of teachers. Our heads of school will introduce individual staff to you on a more personal level in due course. I am sure that you will join me in wishing them a fulfilling and happy time in our college and in Shanghai.

We received our latest set of external examination results during the summer holiday. Our IB results this year were exceptional. The average point score of 38.3 achieved by our students is very strong indeed and we were thrilled that over 44 percent of our students gained scores of 40 or more. We are delighted and very proud of Clarisse Pierre and Jerry Zhang, both of whom gained the coveted maximum score of 45, a remarkable feat that less than 0.1 percent of students worldwide achieve.

Marcel G. Gauthier , Head of School at Shanghai American School

It is with great joy and anticipation that I welcome everyone back to school. 2016-17 promises to be a year of opportunity at SAS! With new leadership, clear priorities and the opening of new learning spaces, we have much to be excited about.

Our three new deputy heads of school bring extensive knowledge and breadth of experience to our campuses. George Entwistle, deputy head of school at the Puxi campus, brings years of service as a superintendent at high performing districts in Maine and Massachusetts. Emily Sargent-Beasley, deputy head of school at the Pudong campus, brings eight years of experience in international education, holding positions as an assistant superintendent, a curriculum coordinator and college instructor. With eighteen years of experience in international education, Emmanuel Bonin, our deputy head for Educational Programs, coordinated the academic program for five campuses at the International School in Los Angeles. Benjamin Lee most recently served as the Upper School director at the Northwest School in Seattle and takes the helm as our new High School principal at Pudong.

As new leaders, we will of course also focus on connecting with the SAS community to understand better what makes us special as well as what hopes and needs we might further refine.

Derek Luebbe , Head of school at Shanghai Community International School Pudong

Dear students, as we kick off the 2016-17 school year, I want to extend a warm welcome to everyone in the SCIS Pudong community. I’m honored to be returning to SCIS after spending the last eight years in Budapest, Hungary. Initially, I want to say thank you to all the students and families for the warm welcome I have received. SCIS is truly a community school.

Students, I’m sure you all are experiencing some excitement and nerves about all the unknowns of the new year: new teachers, new friends, and (for many) a new city! I hope that many of you are excited for the academic challenges that await you as we implement the PYP and MYP programs — helping prepare you for our culminating IB Diploma Program. I promise that you will be challenged this year in a world-class academic program. 

But more importantly, I want to assure you that we will never lose sight of what makes SCIS special — our supportive, personalized community. I encourage you all to re-connect with old friends and teachers as well as reach out to those who are new. Your personal and academic growth are based on the relationships you will make. These are the foundations from which you grow. Nurture them, and we will go far together.

Tan Thong Howe , Head of school at Shanghai Singapore International School

SSIS is a very unique place to be — it is not just a school, it is a very closely-knit community that always places the child at the center of everything we do.

I have heard from many SSIS students that the only drawback of the summer holidays is that they cannot be with their friends and teachers. Indeed in SSIS, you will find strong and lasting friendships, and extremely caring teachers and staff.

During this academic year, there are three areas of focus for the school:

To enrich the teaching and learning environment;

To engage the school community;

To enhance the school systems and structure.

We believe that the school can sustain our excellence when we put our hearts and minds to ensure success in the three areas of focus.

Students will continue to enjoy high quality instructions from our teachers. In line with our belief in the holistic development of every child, the school will provide ample opportunities for our students to excel beyond the academics. We recognized that each child is gifted in different ways and it is our responsibility to discover and nurture the unique talents in every student. It will be an engaging and fun school year for everyone in SSIS!

Greg Brunton , Director of school of Western International School of Shanghai

Dear WISS Students, we hope you enjoyed a wonderful summer break with your families and friends and are looking forward to starting the new school year at WISS as much as we are. Whether you are returning to WISS, or you are new to the WISS community, we warmly welcome you.

WISS continues to grow and be an exciting place with many opportunities. Everyone at WISS has been working very hard to make this year the best ever. When you see the campus, you will notice lots of changes to include some additional and renovated Early Years classrooms, natural elements added to the EY playgrounds, a “Square One” digital art room, a renovated black box theater, renovated design wing, the creation of a film studio for film studies and film production, and much, much more.

As far as classes and activities, rock climbing, cooking, soccer, and archery continue to be very popular choices within the Afternoon Activities offerings. Tiger Robotics is joining the extremely popular Tiger Science afterschool program. There are more science classes in the MYP and DP to include a new DP course, Environmental Systems and Societies. DP Theater is also being offered now. WISS continues to host the Stoke City FC Academy and the International Schools Theater Association (ISTA) Academy offering many opportunities for you.

Richard Swann , Head of school of Yew Chung International School of Shanghai

The beginning of a new academic year brings eager anticipation for the return of our students and the opportunity to welcome new families and students joining the YCIS Shanghai community.

While our students have been away on their own holiday adventures, YCIS campuses have been busily preparing and planning for the new academic year so that we have the ideal learning environment and context in place for our first day of school.

With summer renovations and building projects completed, and new technologies in place, we are now ready to greet our community’s return to enjoy the enhanced learning experiences available for our students.

In August, the teachers shared professional focus time, including a special development task targeting the YCIS aspirations we have for student learning. Building upon teacher expertise in curriculum planning, these tasks develop understandings about how, according to recent practices, children learn best and transfer their learning into their own real world experiences. This year we welcomed the renowned leader of learning design, Jay McTighe, for training with our staff. His research and practice for understanding “Learning by Design” principles has been core to the YCIS Foundation curriculum development, and with his support of school’s mission, we will intensify our commitment to further developing motivational learning experiences.

Francesca Martens , She runs an exclusive college admissions practice.

“There are no strangers here, only friends waiting to be made.”

This quote was engraved at the entrance of my friend’s primary school. On his first day, he told me he took this quote to heart and carried it with him through the rest of his schooling years and now into his adult life.

As the first day of schools draws near, and your kids begin to express fear or reluctance at beginning a new school year without their old group of friends, remind them that school is life on training wheels: as adults they will always be meeting new people while saying goodbye to others.

So instead of being afraid of novelty and the unknown, get your kids excited about all the new friends they will make: instead of having 10 friends, after this year, they will have 20 or more.

I think the most important thing is to use these day-to-day problems to help kids develop their perspective from an early age. It is important for them to shift their mindset from seeing uncomfortable circumstances as problems or things to be avoided, to viewing them as exciting challenges that will help them grow and improve their lives.

Niki Meehan , Vice Principle of British International School Shanghai, Puxi

Anxious feelings are normal and expected during times of transition or change and this is especially true for children going back to school. The level of change of course is heightened within an international school community where children often have the additional anxieties associated with changing country, home, school and friendship groups. Fortunately, children are extremely capable of coping with change and parents and teachers can help them by providing a setting that fosters resilience and encourages children to share feelings about returning to school.

Ask your child what is making them worried and reassure them that nerves are normal, but highlight that not everything that is different is necessarily bad. Children often seek reassurance that bad things won’t happen so avoid just giving reassurance and instead encourage your child to think of ways to problem solve. Encourage them to face their fears and coach them on how to cope with both real and imagined scary situations. In doing so, you will be giving your child the tools to be resilient to cope with any future and unexpected situations. Try also to re-direct attention away from their worries and toward the positives — there always are some!

Tony Tovar , A Grade 6 teacher at Concordia International School Shanghai

Recently began my 24th year of teaching. Even after all this time, I still got butterflies in my stomach the night before the first day of school, thinking about what the day and the year would be like. That fear and anxiety can be even greater for students, especially because they’re going to a new grade, and they may have new classmates or a new teacher or might be going to a new school. If you notice your child is feeling anxious about the new school year, here are a few ideas to help calm his or her fears.

The first is to prepare. Many schools have orientation events before the first day. Make sure you attend. Walking the halls, seeing the classrooms, meeting the teachers will help your child to feel more confident. Another way to prepare is reconnecting with old friends. If your child hasn’t seen his or her classmates since last June, it can help to invite a few over to reestablish those relationships before they get back to class. Finally, if your child is going to a new school, try to find an older student you know who’s attended the school and invite them over. And let your child ask questions to help alleviate fear of the unknown.

RiAnn Caban , Specialist of Lower School Learning Support, SCIS Pudong campus

While many children are excited for the start of a new academic year, there are those who may have increased levels of fear or anxiety. What can you do to help ease these feelings? Begin by talking to your child. Allow him/her to express their feelings without reassuring them that bad things will not happen. Encourage your child to think of possible solutions for dealing with certain imagined situations, but be sure to focus on what they are excited about for the new year.

Whether your child will be attending a new school or not, it may be helpful to set a time to visit the school prior to the first day; meeting the teacher may also be a possibility. A few days before the start of school, create and implement a school-day routine for waking up, eating and going to bed. This will ensure that your child is getting the rest and nutrition he/she needs while helping the entire family adjust to the anticipated schedule. Be sure to keep open communication with the teacher. If your child continues to experience fear and/or anxiety after the first few weeks of school, be sure to contact your family pediatrician.

Sonia Manak , Counsellor at Shanghai Singapore International School

A new school year is here! For some children it can be an exciting time as they look forward to new classes, new friends, new teachers and back to school shopping. For others, it can be an anxious time full of jitters and unease. Just as starting a new job for an adult comes with some fear and anxiety, so does the first day of school for some children.

Here are some things that you can do as a parent to help alleviate the stress and anxiety of going back to school:

Talk to your child about his/her feelings. Validate their feelings and encourage them to share both the positive and negative about going back to school.

Try to get the class schedule before the first day and bring it with you on your school visit.

Get into a routine a few weeks before school starts. Over the summer break we tend to stay up later and wake up later. Life becomes a little more unstructured so start getting the structure back. Go to bed early and get up early. A routine will help ground children and ease the transition of going back to school.

Lisa Ellery , PYP EAL Department Leader of Western International School of Shanghai

For any child, the first day at a new school can often feel overwhelming. Wondering in little minds about who will my new teacher be? Will I make friends quickly? These can of course be intensified for students entering a school environment where the language of instruction is not their mother tongue. The anxiety can easily increase as students have so much more to consider and think about. Will the school be anything like in my own country? How will I understand my new teacher? How will I communicate when I need the bathroom? What will I do at recess or lunchtime if I can’t speak to my classmates? What if I don’t like the food? The list of worries goes on; not just for students but often for parents too.

Rest assured, at WISS teachers take great care and pride in ensuring they are ready and prepared to welcome new arrivals. The importance of preparation and detailed planning is well established, and the notion that “inclusion does not just happen, it has to be planned for” is well accepted. The emphasis on assessment for learning provides the backbone for effective teaching and learning in our classrooms.